Avaya IP Agent, Release 5, Frequently Asked Questions
Avaya IP Agent, Release 5, Frequently Asked Questions 1
What are the new features for Avaya IP Agent, Release 5? 2
What Client Operating Systems are supported in Avaya IP Agent R5? 2
What version of Avaya Communication Manager is required to use the new Avaya Telephone configurations? 3
What methods of installation can I use for Avaya IP Agent 3
Does Avaya IP Agent run on Linux? 3
Can I use one-to-many IP Address substitution with Avaya IP Agent? 3
What things should I consider before using to Voice over IP (VoIP)? 4
Can Avaya IP Agent be used with virtual private networks (VPNs)? 4
Can I use a VPN in the new Terminal Services configuration for Avaya IP Agent R5? 5
Will SMDR/CDR show the same information for Avaya IP Agent as for other phones? 5
In Avaya IP Agent, where is recent call history data stored? Does the supervisor see this info? 5
When using Avaya IP Agent, can the agent get a zip tone when using a headset? 6
How is Avaya IP Agent different than the existing CentreVu Agent with the CallMaster VI product? 6
Can Avaya IP Agent work with existing CTI Screen Pop applications I may have deployed? 6
Do I need a MAPD card with CV/CT or ASAI software to utilize the Screen Pops feature in Avaya IP Agent? 7
Do I need Elite call center software or EAS for the Avaya IP Agent Application? 7
Can the same C-LAN board that is accommodating CMS connectivity to the communication server be utilized for Avaya IP Agent as well? 7
Can the Avaya IP Agent audio path be an extension / line appearance from a communication server from another vendor? 7
Can Avaya IP Agent be utilized with communication servers from other vendors? 7
Where does the call related information appear? 8
How does the message waiting light work and appear to the agent? 8
How will ACD agent functionality (e.g. login/logout, AUX/After Call Work/Auto-in, and queue stats) be performed? 8
Can customers maintain extension dialing to the remote agents? How will outbound calls by the remote agents be performed? 9
Will I still be able to monitor the agent through reports and applications such as Avaya CMS Supervisor or Service Observing? 9
How do agents receive end user training? 9
Is Avaya IP Agent a "Thin Client" application? 9
Can I use dial-up, DSL, or Cable Internet access for Avaya IP Agent? 10
Does Avaya IP Agent have conflicts with non-Avaya desktop applications? 10
Does V2 IPA work with Avaya Communication Manager 1.3, 2.0? 10
What are the new features for Avaya IP Agent, Release 5?
· Silent installation - You can now create an installation script that allows you to install subsequent installations of Avaya IP Agent without user interaction. If you use a network management system, such as Microsoft SMS® or Hewlett-Packard OpenView®, you can combine the silent installation with the functionality of these products to distribute Avaya IP Agent.
· Windows Terminal Services compatibility - Those contact centers that use Windows Terminal Services to centralize the computing environment can now use a special version of Avaya IP Agent to facilitate usage of the Telecommuter configuration in that environment. This version can also be used in Citrix® environments.
· Avaya Telephone-IP configuration - Using this new configuration, agents can use Avaya IP Agent as a direct interface to their physical 4600-series IP telephones. While the Avaya Telephone-IP configuration is similar to the Telecommuter configuration, it cannot use a telephone number that is different from the extension. You need only one defined station on the Avaya communication server, instead of the two required by the Telecommuter configuration. This feature is available for those contact centers using Avaya Communication Manager 2.1 or later.
· Avaya Telephone-DCP configuration - Using this new configuration, agents can use Avaya IP Agent as a direct interface to their physical Avaya 2400-series or 6400-series Digital Communication Protocol (DCP) telephone. While the Avaya Telephone-DCP configuration is similar to the Telecommuter configuration, it cannot use a telephone number that is different from the extension. However, with the Avaya Telephone-DCP configuration, you need only one defined station on your Avaya communication server, instead of the two required by the Telecommuter configuration. This feature is available for those contact centers using Avaya Communication Manager 2.0 or later.
· Media encryption - The Avaya iClarity IP Audio component of Avaya IP Agent now encrypts communication between itself and the Avaya communication server. This provides a new level of security in communications conducted over your contact center network.
· User-to-user information (UUI) screen pop enhancement - Using external applications, unique identifiers can be added to incoming calls. If your Avaya communication server has the correct features and configuration, these identifiers can be passed to Avaya IP Agent and used in screen pops for agents.
· Network-resident agent greetings - Agent greetings can now be stored on network drives.
· Agent greetings in the Telecommuter configuration - With the Avaya Switcher II headset, which connects to a DCP or IP telephone and a PC, contact centers using the Telecommuter configuration can now use agent greetings. These greetings are stored as .WAV files on the PC. This feature is not supported in the Windows Terminal Services version of Avaya IP Agent.
What Client Operating Systems are supported in Avaya IP Agent R5?
· Client PC operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows 2000 for x86-based processors (both Professional and Server) SP2 or higher
- Microsoft Windows XP (both Professional and Home versions) SP1 or higher
· Server operating systems for a Terminal Services environment (also Citrix):
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Standard or Advanced edition
- Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Enterprise or Standard edition
What version of Avaya Communication Manager is required to use the new Avaya Telephone configurations?
Use of the Avaya Telephone – (DCP or IP) configuration requires a minimum of Avaya Communication Manager 2.1 or later.
What methods of installation can I use for Avaya IP Agent
· Individual PC installation - If you insert the Avaya IP Agent CD-ROM into the CD-ROM driver of your computer, the installation of Avaya IP Agent begins automatically.
· Distributed installation - If you want to install Avaya IP Agent on personal computers that are not equipped with a CD-ROM drive, you can copy the contents of the CD-ROM to a network location using another personal computer. Running the install program from the network does not alter the installation program.
· Silent installation (new with Avaya IP Agent R5) - You can now create an installation script that allows you to install subsequent installations of Avaya IP Agent without user interaction. If you use a network management system, such as Microsoft SMS® or Hewlett-Packard OpenView®, you can combine the silent installation with the functionality of these products to distribute Avaya IP Agent.
· Web-based installation - On the Avaya IP Agent CD-ROM, the installation program is also available in the form of a single executable file. This file is ideal for placement on an internal Web site so that users can run the Avaya IP Agent installation through a hyperlink.
· Unsupported installation methods - Avaya IP Agent does not provide an integrated installation mechanism for network management software such as Microsoft System Management Server® (SMS) or Hewlett-Packard OpenView®. However, these products can make use of the silent installation feature of IP Agent to perform installation without requiring user interaction at the target PC.
Does Avaya IP Agent run on Linux?
Currently, Avaya IP Agent does not support the Linux operating system.
Can I use one-to-many IP Address substitution with Avaya IP Agent?
Avaya IP Agent provides support for several H.323.compatible firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). For shim-based VPNs, you must use the Advanced tab in the Avaya iClarity IP Audio dialog box to set an IPSec IP address, assigned by the VPN gateway, that is visible to the application on the personal computer. If you need assistance, please contact Avaya technical support. The VPN solution provided by Avaya iClarity IP Audio only supports VPNs that use one-to-one IP address substitution. VPNs that use many-to-one IP address substitution cannot be used with Avaya IP Agent.
What things should I consider before using to Voice over IP (VoIP)?
Voice communication through Internet Protocol requires consistent, non-restrictive network bandwidth as well as the personal computer hardware sufficient to support not only the communications of the agent but also other tasks being performed on the personal computer. If you experience problems with Avaya IP Agent Voice over IP telephony, you should ensure that network and personal computer resources are adequate for the tasks being performed.
Voice over IP uses real-time processing on your personal computer to transmit voice communication. Nearly all other processes on a personal computer use sequential processing, which means that requests for system resources are processed as they become available. If resources are not available to process Voice over IP actions, the quality of the communication degrades.
Network bandwidth availability can also have an impact on Voice over IP communications. The codecs used for Voice over IP encoding can vary from using small packets for dial-up connections with reduced voice quality to using larger packets providing higher voice quality over broadband and high-speed connections.
Please note that Voice over IP does not guarantee toll-quality audio. This is affected by numerous variables including the codec used, network bandwidth availability, personal computer processing capabilities, sound card, network lag and packet loss, and many others.
Can Avaya IP Agent be used with virtual private networks (VPNs)?
Avaya Voice-over-IP solutions require IP connectivity between endpoints. This could be IP endpoints (Avaya IP Agent or IP telephones) communicating with the Avaya communcation server or an IP connection between two Avaya communication servers. VPN implementations vary greatly. There are at least two parameters that are of concern when considering the implementation of Avaya IP Agent over a VPN:
1. Network Address Translation (NAT): A VPN that implements network address translation without an H.323 proxy does not adequately support Avaya Voice-over-IP solutions. This is because NAT changes the address headers in an IP Packet while H.323 contains additional address information in the packet payload. The following items are possible solutions to this situation:
- Use fixed IP addresses within your VPN so that the VPN does not apply address translation.
- Use an H.323-aware VPN Solution.
- Use a VPN solution where the IP address assigned to the remote endpoint is done through DHCP on the corporate network.
2. Delays: Because Voice-over-IP relies on real-time processing, delays introduced by the VPN can cause problems in communication. Delays can be introduced in at least two areas:
- Propagation Delay: This type of delay is related to the distance that IP packets must travel through the network, the number of hops that packets take through a network, the available bandwidth of that network, and other network traffic.
- Encryption delay: VPNs encrypt data in order to ensure privacy over an otherwise public network. Encryption of packet data takes time and can increase delay in a network. The VPN should be implemented with hardware acceleration in order to minimize delay. If a PC is used as one of the endpoints in a VPN connection, the PC may introduce a large delay in processing the encryption/decryption algorithm.
In order to have acceptable voice quality, total system round trip delays (including both encryption and propagation delays) should not exceed a maximum of 200 milliseconds. One may gain a quick view as to total delay by using the "ping" command that is available on most PCs and on the Avaya communication server. Note that this test represents the delay of a network only during the instant in time that it is run and should be checked throughout the day to accommodate variations in network load.
VPNs used in Voice-over-IP communications need to support H.323 applications. If the VPN does not support H.323 proxying and if Network Address Translation (NAT) is used, Avaya Voice-over-IP solutions may not function properly. This is due to H.323 using the IP packet payload to transmit IP address information, such as the IP address for the audio path. Without H.323 proxying, the payload will not be translated with NAT and endpoints will not be able to register. NAT may not affect IP trunking if IP addresses for both locations are known to both systems. These are known issues with using VPNs and may not be the only issues.
Can I use a VPN in the new Terminal Services configuration for Avaya IP Agent R5?
· Avaya IP Agent R5 supports the use of a VPN connection between the client PCs connecting to the Terminal Services (or Citrix) server.
· Avaya IP Agent R5 does not support the use of a VPN connection between the Terminal Services (or Citrix) server and the Avaya communication server. The expectation is that the Terminal Services (or Citrix) server is behind a firewall.
In Avaya IP Agent, where is recent call history data stored? Does the supervisor see this info?
By default, the call history information is stored on the PC where Avaya IP Agent is installed. However, it is possible to store the call history along with all other data in the Avaya IP Agent database on a network drive. Each agent would have a unique database in this network location. Multiple agents cannot use a single Avaya IP Agent database in a network location.
Call history information can be stored for a 12 month period. After this time, new entries will overwrite the oldest call history entries. The call history data is not integrated with any other Avaya products such as communication servers or Avaya Call Management System. The call history feature is simply an easy way for agents to track work state changes and view the incoming and outgoing calls that have taken place.
If an administrator does not want the agent to see the call history information, there are two methods of restricting this ability:
1. Configure Avaya IP Agent to put the program database in a network location that agents have write permissions, but not read permissions.